Frequently Asked Questions

What is SEEK?

Student Engineers Educating Kids (SEEK) is an engineering organization that organizes an after-school program where college engineers are paired up with middle school students, who they mentor once a week for a semester. Mentoring consists of helping students with homework and doing engineering-related workshops with the students.

What is a Mentor?

Mentoring is the primary focus of the SEEK program and was our first initiative. As a mentor, you will be working one-on-one with at-risk middle school students to complete engineering projects such as sailing carts, roller coasters, LED flashlights, ice cream in a bag, and many more. You will meet with your student once a week in an after-school program setting.

Who can join SEEK?

All registered UT students (undergraduate and graduate), especially engineering and natural science majors can apply to be in SEEK.

Who will be accepted to SEEK?

Returning mentors and alternates are automatically re-accepted into SEEK unless there is discretion against it, which is very rare. Acceptance of new mentors is subject to approval and availability. If you are approved but space is unavailable, then you will be put on our alternate-mentors list and will be contacted when a vacancy arises.

Do not worry if you have a class that ends when SEEK begins or a class that starts when SEEK ends. Such situations have been worked out in the past, but the accommodation depends individually on the mentor.

How do we get to the schools?

SEEK officers and mentors who have cars will provide carpools to and from the middle schools. If you have a car, please consider carpooling because it is essential to our organization.

How can I take SEEK for class credit

Like a class, SEEKers attend their session each week of the semester. Along with the weekly meeting, SEEKers must complete a weekly journal, commenting on the week’s mentoring session. Finally, members are required to write a short paper about their experience in SEEK in order to receive full class credit. Because SEEK is a class, SEEKers receive two hours of course credit that goes toward your overall GPA. However, members can also enroll in SEEK without taking it for course credit.

Are there leadership opportunites

SEEK offers many leadership opportunities for its members. You must be part of SEEK for at least one semester to be eligible for an officer position. New officers are first interviewed and then selected at the end of each semester by the current group of officers.